Pic req: Lipo'd N/A bumpers

[C.J.]

I'm thinking of shortening my N/A bumpers, but I want to see the look on other peoples 5ers before I do it to mine. So please, post 'em up. Thanks.

[Mless5]

I am against it, but whatever, googled it:

[Marshall]

[Edit by Marshall on [TIME]1132353366[/TIME]]

[C.J.]

Thanks man, one question though, why are you against it?

[psportoveloce]

why are you against it?

probably for reasons for safety/protection: by removing the fluid from the bumper shocks, they no longer serve their purpose of allowing the car to withstand a 5mph impact without sustaining damage.

not to mention that the actual process of removing the fluid can be dangerous because it is under extremely high pressure.

Furthermore, if you were to get involved in an accident and the insurance company found out that you had tampered with federally mandated safety equipment, they would be...how shall we say...displeased...at the very least. How would they find out you ask? Good question. I don't know if that's something that they would be on the lookout for.

Bear in mind, however, that your car would still be safer than if it had euro bumpers, which offer even less protection.

I've just laid out all the answers I can think of, but I still have euro bumpers on my car!

Like a lot of decisions, you have to ask yourself if the risks are worth the benefits, and in my case, it was definitely worth it (except I haven't had any accidents yet!). What can I say, I'm young and stupid!

[C.J.]

Well yeah I know about the reduced safety and the crap I could get into should I ever get in an accident and the insurance co. found out about the tampering. I guess the question should've asked if there were any other reasons (i.e. aesthetic) that he was against the mod.

[Monotalonawd]

Those lipo'd bumpers do look really good. I removed mine to fit an air-to-air intercooler and from what I've observed, it "should" be possible to shorten the bumper and still retain the shock absorber.

Anyway, even without the shock absorber, I'm convinced the e28 could sustain a moderate impact with less damage than most of the little cars I've owned due to that big bumper.

[Yellow2]

my friend ran into my rear lipo'd bumper and the damage was not to the bumper itself, but to the hard plastic pieces around the bumper with the running lights. The driver one cracked and revealing the outer stripping of the bumper.

Point is, with or without the lipo'd your going to see some sort of plastic piece break.

[Dan]

[QUOTE="Yellow"]Point is, with or without the lipo'd your going to see some sort of plastic piece break.[/QUOTE]

I'd disagree. Been rear-ended at low speed twice, with no broken pastic. The second time she scuffed up the plastic strip on the bumper, so I got a new one, along with a new shock or two. This is non-lipo'd.

psportoveloce said that it can be dangerous lipo'ing the bumpers because of high pressure fluid, I'm not sure that's the case. Obviously talk to someone that's done it, but it was my impression that it's a fairly easy task.

[originalMJG]

i still think lipo'd bumpers look poop compared to euro, but if its federally mandated safety stuff or whatever it was called, then i would be dubious about doing it.

in england aslong as theres no exposed sharp edges then your car can run with no bumpers. funnily enough i think the bonnet line/eyebrow line on the e28 is so severe it should class as a sharp object lol, but im guessing original vehicle manufacturers can get away with making a sharp edge at thigh height perfect for ripping pedestrians to pieces ~0 hopefully i wont hit anybody in my e28 because i doubt it would be very safe for the person i hit!

[canyoncarver]

based on seeing hundreds.......literally hundreds of e28s that are "insurance" totals.............i have a different opinion.
for very low speed shunts..ie; under 5mph, then the US bumpers cant be beat. they will take a very minor impact,...saving the rest of the car from any damage,.
but,.........................
at driving speeds...say...10ish mph on up...the US bumpers are a sure way to write your car off. once theyve compressed under impact......the remaining energy is transferred straight to the frame rails or mounting points...............and they invarioubly crumple just as they were designed to. the age of these cars makes it hard for an insurance company to justify frame rail straightening regardless of how minor it may seem.
given this knowlege and experience....i had no problems in lipoing my US bumpers....and no problems in converting to euro..
sheetmetal damage can be repaired or replaced................its the frame rail damage from the us bumpers that will total your car.................

heres a pic of mark from seattle/escondido/phoenix's lipoed 5er................one of the best looking lipoed examples in my opinion..................

[C.J.]

That is one sharp looking car. Thanks for that pic, I really wanted to see what lipo'd bumpers look like on a 535is. I know that Porsche 924/944 owners do this mod often (almost bought one, glad I didn't), so I'm guessing that it can't really be all that difficult/dangerous to do.